1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing equipment and, in particular, to fishing lure assemblies that use multiple hooks and artificial bait.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of fishing tackle exists on the market today. For recreational and sport fishing, it is common practice to use a lure having one or more hooks tied to a fishing line, which are baited with natural or artificial bait. The bait used generally depends upon personal choices of the user, the species of fish sought, lighting, water conditions, season, availability, and so forth. Common artificial baits include plastic worms and other pliable dressings having long and narrow shapes.
Some fishing lures are prone to snagging on submerged objects, such as weeds, brush, timber, rocks, and so forth, as the lures are reeled in through such objects. Snagging is especially a problem for fishing lures having multiple hooks. Once a fishing lure becomes snagged, the angler must then use various extraction techniques to try to retrieve the snagged lure, and often ends up breaking the line and losing the lure.
A number of devices have been developed for making fishing lures resistant to snagging. Most of these devices use some form of pliable or resilient member that extends across the gap between the leading end of the hook shank and the point of the hook. The pliable or resilient member is sufficiently flexible that a striking fish will expose the point of the hook and allow the hook to penetrate into the mouth of the fish. Examples of single hook fishing lures with snag resistant features include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,381 of Carver et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,758 of Phillips; U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,956 of Hedman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,743 of McClellan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,185 of Reed; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,672 of Huppert.
Multiple hook fishing lures with snag resistant features have also been developed. Examples of such multiple hook lures include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,503 of Schleif; U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,153 of Paluzzi; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,402 of Jilling et al.
In some fishing situations, there is an advantage to using multiple hook devices connected together in series one behind another. Examples of lure assemblies having hook devices connected in series include: U.S. Pat. No. 315,967 of Spencer; U.S. Pat. No. 913,440 of Sutton; U.S. Pat. No. 356,661 of Pfaff; U.S. Pat. No. 664,476 of Hall; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,781,598 of Peckinpaugh.
Although the prior art devices mentioned above have provided advances in the art, there still exists a need in the industry for an improved fishing lure assembly having multiple hooks connected together in series which is also resistant to snagging.